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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23596804">Desert Sands</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/powerofchaos/pseuds/powerofchaos'>powerofchaos</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Legend of Zelda &amp; Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, Breath of the Wild References, F/M, Legend of Zelda AU, Zelda is a sheikah, set in a different timeline though, zelgan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:15:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,987</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23596804</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/powerofchaos/pseuds/powerofchaos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>500 years after the great calamity, the land of Hyrule is finally at peace. Link, Zelda, their names now only legend. Their statues overlooking the land, guarding, and finally resting. After a brutal civil war at the start of her father's reign, Zelda, who bears the name of her predecessor is left without a mother. The Gerudo-Hylian war of 27 years ago took her from them, the stress of childbearing along with a battle waging outside was too much for her. Now Zelda must prevent it from happening again, sent on a diplomatic mission to Gerudo town to oversee a trade agreement between the two kingdoms.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ganondorf &amp; Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Ganondorf/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Desert Sands</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>500 years after the great calamity, the land of Hyrule is finally at peace. Link, Zelda, their names now only legend. Their statues overlooking the land, guarding, and finally resting. After a brutal civil war at the start of her father's reign, Zelda, who bears the name of her predecessor is left without a mother. The Gerudo-Hylian war of 27 years ago took her from them, the stress of childbearing along with a battle waging outside was too much for her. </p><p>Raised by her maid, Impa, she becomes the sole heir to the Hylian throne. Whispers and scandal course through the land, telling the story of a princess born to a sheikah. How she is not of noble blood, that her very existence is a blight on the crown. When she first heard whispers of her staff, she cried for days. Eventually, her Father began damage control, threatening a hefty fine should anyone publicly declare it, and the remarks went back underground. Though there was no doubt in her mind that to them she was a failure. Her inability to harness the triforce of wisdom; her birthright was proof enough that she was not fit to rule. </p><p>Due to her dwindling popularity, her work to stabilize Hyrule was done discreetly, it had been almost 5 years since her last public appearance. They referred to her as the "bastard in the tower", as she was hardly seen leaving it. Her studies on ancient sheikah technology were immeasurably useful, and that became her role. It was not rare that letters and correspondence from the king came from her, in his old age he struggled to read, so he entrusted her with that task, albeit begrudgingly.</p><p>Zelda's father tried to hide his disappointment, his contempt, but often his silence was enough for her to know. She turned 25 a few weeks prior, he did not grant her audience. So she spent with Impa, in her study, translating some ancient texts for the lab. Even though his distaste for her and her chosen profession was obvious, she tried desperately to prove herself. If she couldn't before he passed away, there would surely be a regent, something that would ruin all her hard work at peacemaking and writing treaties for various kingdoms surrounding them. </p><p>With ink dotted on her cheeks, the eyes strain that came with writing in candlelight became too much, Zelda sat back in her chair and closed the book in front of her. "It will keep for tomorrow." She muttered, a small smile on her face. Hopefully, her father would retire soon, and then she would be able to explore the castle freely. Perhaps it was juvenile to avoid addressing the elephant in the room, but in knowing she was quick to anger, this was the more peaceful option. Working on treaties taught her that. </p><p>Peering out the window of her study, she saw him walking with several knights, he was surely off to bed. Until they made for her spire. Oh, crap. Zelda rushed to cover any of her work, careful to put away anything that suggested an interest in technology. She pulled some texts out, pretending to be studying policies and language. Hearing the clattered of chain mail against the stone, the door opened behind her. She stood to greet her Father, his large frame towering over her own. His beard was going white, stress or age? Zelda did not know. </p><p>"I'm sorry to have interrupted your studies. But it seems apparent to me that at 25 you refuse to marry, I must use your talents elsewhere." He said plainly, no emotion betraying him. "Elsewhere? A–Are you sending me away?" Zelda stammered, panic rising. "Not willingly. I personally do not think you are fit for such a task, but we are restricted in whom we can send concerning gender." He sighed, turning his head. It had been so long since she looked him in the eye, and even then it was in anger. A small, childish need to impress him still weighed heavily on her soul. </p><p>"Surely– You can't be sending me there. My studies! I have almost finished a key piece of translation, if I have to go now my absence will leave the kingdom at risk!" She paced over, brow furrowed. Her work was everything, something she saw as detrimental. "You are going to the Gerudo Court! If you do not, that will leave the kingdom at risk! This is why I forbid you from taking up such tasks! You failed in obtaining the triforce of wisdom, you must take a different route to peace! I cannot oversee a trade agreement there, and they demanded royalty. You are the only female, had your mother still been alive she would have gone in your stead." He looked down at his daughter, so much alike with her mother. Strong in opinions as well as her likes and dislikes. But she had his stubbornness, and it was her downfall like his own. </p><p>"Your trade deal with the Gerudo will only lead to our ruin! You are a fool if you can't see plainly that history is repeating itself! You say the king is only called Ganondorf by tradition, same as I, but by sending me you doom us to ruin! If you command me, as you are my king I must accept, but as your daughter, I am pleading for you to change your mind."  Her eyes searched his, looking for any sign of a parent. She could not find it. "Then I command you." He said, grimacing, she left him with no alternative. </p><p>"Then consider this our last conversation." Zelda snapped, barging past and storming away. She did not want or need any more explanation. It was a command, and now she could not refuse it, or else face treason. Pacing down the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her, she reached her room directly beneath her study. She bolted the door behind her, although she doubted he would follow her. </p><p>Zelda sighed, resting her back against the door. All this work, leading to nothing. Her bottom lip quivered, threatening to let out a small whimper. Collapsing on the floor, bringing her knees to her chest, she silently wept. He was right, she was just a failure. An insult to the title of princess. All those lives out there, despite their disdain, relied on her. She had a duty to them, not her Father. </p><p>Clenching her hands together, she prayed. "Hylia, I come before you, asking… begging. Please let me prove I'm worthy, to my Father and my own people." It was more of a plea than a prayer. Only the divine could end the torture, all of the work she did in her late teens led to nothing and no amount of progress in other fields made her worthy in his father's eyes. Opening her eyes slowly, hoping that some transformation had occurred, she was greeted only by the chirping of owls and crickets. She cried harder than before, the pain of disappointment overwhelming. Eventually, she fell into a deep slumber on the rug, worn out from the events of the day. </p><p>On the other side of the castle, Impa marched to the king's quarters, overhearing some guards talking of Zelda's outburst. It was rare that she spoke out of turn, but she decided the best well the tell truth from rumor was to go to him directly. As a sheikah, she was sworn to aid the royal family, but as a mother, her oath was cast aside. She gave the door three firm knocks, hearing the king shout enter, she opened it. The room lit by dull candlelight, she moved to a bow, keeping her head down until he ordered her to rise. </p><p>"Your majesty, may I speak freely?" Impa enquired, gritting her teeth as to not betray her composure. "As a trusted advisor, you may. But choose your words carefully." The King warned, knowing already what she wished to discuss. "You are sending Zelda to a foreign land, her only knowledge of it from books and without the triforce of wisdom. She has no way to protect herself from the beholder of the triforce of power, should he return. Her place is here, where she can be safe but also useful." Impa explained, poised as if they were discussing the weather. "Her place is where I say it is. You are acting as if I had a choice in sending her, I do not wish to send her, but it is a means to an end. The Gerudo need a trade deal to prevent another civil war, and after it took the queen and many citizens as a monarch I must do everything in my power to prevent that. Even if it means sacrificing my own daughter." The king felt himself flinch, mentally cursing the situation. </p><p>"Will you at least allow me to accompany her?" Impa implored, striving to find a middle ground. "I have already made arrangements, she can hardly discuss terms if she does not arrive." He told her with a solemn nod, Impa was the water to cool his daughter's fire, never illogical and appearing devoid of emotion. Even now, when distressed, she still was composed.  </p><p>"I understand, your majesty." She conceded, bowing her head once more.<br/>
____________________________________</p><p>Zelda's eyes fluttered open, her back ailing from sleeping on the floor. The sunlight dancing on her face, she yawned, her hair disheveled. She stood with a grimace, rubbing the base of her spine as she approached the window. The royal carriage had been prepared in all its finery, her trunks being fastened to the back. Traveling to the desert was no small feat, it would take days of driving, and once they arrived on the sand they would have to use sand seals. Zelda did not know what the dress code would curtail, but she knew she needed to dress for the summer. A flowing dress would hinder movement, opting for a white blouse, a leather utility belt, and light trousers. She did not forgo a crown, using a smaller, rather plain circlet to show her status. </p><p>Sufficiently dressed, hair braided neatly, Zelda left her room. Perhaps for the last time if the journey went poorly, or at least for a while. An audience had gathered of guards and servants, even if they hated her, they still trampled over one another just to glance. Impa waited at the end of the walkway, bowing before her. Their murmurs silenced as they laid their eyes on their now fully grown princess, someone many had never seen or only saw as a child. Her hair as white as her aging fathers, with vibrant red eyes to match. No wonder they believed her to be a sheikah or worse, cursed by the goddess herself. </p><p>But instead of the scorn she had accustomed too, the crowd below slowly bowed, falling to one knee. Zelda held her head high, taking a deep breath and approaching Impa. She motioned for Impa to rise, giving a final glance to the crowd and left for the main hall of the castle. Her insecurity rising, seeing her only fueled gossip. One side telling her how she was indeed hated by the divine, the other saying perhaps the royal family had a distant connection. How would two races be inextricably linked without it? </p><p>"Impa." Zelda froze, turning to face the distant woman behind her. "Why… do I look this way?" She peered up to her as if bracing for some kind of backlash like her father did when questioned. "Your Mother," Impa answered bluntly, visible discomfort on her features. "Was she…" Zelda trailed off, she had never seen her Mother, not a single portrait existed. First-hand accounts of her varied in description, she could not get a clear consensus. "No." If she was lying, Zelda wouldn't have realized, though from her tone she knew that the conversation was over. She decided not to press any further, walking to the main gates in silence. </p><p>Zelda looked frantically for her Father, a small hope still within her that he would bid her farewell. She waited for as long as she could, even after giving up, she took small glances down the hall. He did not arrive. Did he think so little of her? All because of some stupid power? On a balcony, obscured by a spire, King Romu stood. Giving a silent goodbye even if from a distance, like he always was.</p><p>Castle town was bustling, not with patrons but with shopkeepers, market traders, and beggars. This was a rare unannounced appearance from the royal carriage, one that quickly garnered attention. "I hate this thing. Why did he send for it?" Zelda rolled her eyes at the distasteful nature of flaunting such grandeur in front of those barely surviving. "We will be switching to a more incognito mode of transport once we hit the outskirts, but your Father believed that the citizens needed a morale boost." Impa explained calmly, though this did little to quell her bitterness.</p><p>"So I am a pawn even when traveling. How wonderful." She sighed, pulling the curtain across. There would be no spectacle today, at least if she could help it. Impa only shrugged, knowing better than to challenge her. As her mother figure she could get away with certain liberties, but ordering her was not one of them. However, could she keep the peace if she could not even do it with her own Father? Worry chewed at Impa's mind, for the sake of the kingdom and her daughter. </p><p>"I haven't seen this much of Hyrule since I was a free-spirited young girl, do you remember how I snuck past the guards and escaped to Hyrule field? How you scolded me!" Zelda exclaimed, a nostalgic smile on her face as she peered behind the curtain as they left the city. "It was not quite so humorous when you were the one chasing you, your highness." Impa suppressed a smile of her own, recalling how she found stuck in a pile of mud, her pink dress completely sullied. "Come now, Impa. Don't be so overdramatic. I barely got out of the gates before you found me." She giggled, holding a hand to her mouth in an attempt to stop it. </p><p>Impa only shook her head and sighed as they fell into a comfortable silence. They would reach the outpost soon. Zelda was shuffling awkwardly, desperately craving insignificance. The air began to grow hotter as they approached the meeting point, strong Gerudo ladies stood before their sand seal chariot. "Is that thing safe?" Zelda asked Impa with trepidation. "Of course, your royal highness." She answered, opening the carriage door and holding her hand out to assist her. Zelda nodded, chewing her cheek as she sat down. It was a simple affair as to not attract bandits or any other unsavory characters that may lurk on the borders. </p><p>"This was specifically built for you." Impa informed her, leaning back on the cushioned seats. The wood was sturdy, almost identical to a carriage, with the exception of wheels. It's smooth flat feet balanced carefully on the sand, similar to how skis reacted to snow. It was a marvelous invention, one she would thank her host for. "How marvelous, and it's simple design will no doubt deter criminals!" She smiled enthusiastically, poking her head out and letting her braid blow in the warm wind. </p><p> </p><p>She saw Gerudo town some miles away, it's unmistakable buildings a pillar of civilization such a wasteland. A small chest rattled on the floor, Zelda reached down, revealing its contents; hydromelons. A refreshing fruit that only grew in the desert, a delicacy for all of Hyrule, something that would surely come up in the trade negotiations and would likely be their largest export. She pulled her knife from its sheath, cutting a piece and biting through it. The outer shell was tough and almost bitter, but the pinkish fruit was sweet. "You are only supposed to eat the insides." Impa's brows raised in amusement. "I see." Zelda said sheepishly, wiping her mouth. It was unlike any fruit she had tasted, she made a mental note to have some brought to the castle upon her return. </p><p>As she began cutting another piece for Impa, the chariot began to shake, knocking it from her hand. Their driver cursing in her mother tongue, as a large worm-like creature ascended from the sand, heading directly their way. "Impa! What is that thing!" Zelda shrieked, her eyes wide. Impa did not reply, pulling her from the window and shielding her with her body. They braced for impact as their driver desperately swerved, tipping the chariot and sending them crashing against the side door. </p><p>A screech came from outside, but no impact came. They did not dare move, for fear that it would return, Impa stayed like stone determined to save her child in any way she could. It was only when the sounds of footsteps on the top of the carriage came that she released her, both of them letting out a breath of relief. The door opened, a strong hand reaching in.</p><p>"Who are you?" Impa barked, pulling her sword from her back. "The reason you are alive." An accented voice replied, a man. A traveler perhaps? His hand reached down further, shaking in insistence that Zelda grab it. As she reached for it, Impa shook her head in warning. Zelda paid it no mind, determined not to be stuck in a charity for a moment longer. The man pulled her out with incredible ease, placed her down to the side of the opening. As her eyes adjusted in the sun, she saw her savior. A man bigger than any she had seen, with hair like molten flames, in traditional Gerudo dress showing off every detail of his muscular form. Ganondorf.</p>
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